Brake equalizer



April 5, 1938. F. KESSEN BRAKE EQUALIZER Filed June 23, 1954 5Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Attorney April 5, 1938. F. KESSEN BRAKEEQUALIZER Filed June 23, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Attorney April 5, 1938.F. KEssEN BRAKE EQUALIZER Filed June 23, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ,Wm ww..uw

Invento'r Ferdinand Zfeew,

Attomey Patented Apr. 5, 1938 U Nil-TE D S TATE Sl PATENT oFFIcE BRAKEEQUALIZER Ferdinand Kessen, Detroit, Mich.

Application June 23, 1934; Serial `hlm-'732,154'

1 Claim.A

My invention relates generally to brake equalizers fory vehicles havingfourwheel brakes, whether of therhydraulic or full-mechanical type,

andan important object of my invention is to` 5i provide an equalizerwhich is-simple and effective Aand may be readily installed on anyautomobile and connected to the existing brake system.

It is also an important object ofiny` invention` to.- provide anequalizer ofthe-character indi- 101 cated above wherein means isAprovided for automatically compensatingfor the differences in grippingaction between the` brakes on opposite sides of the vehicle, and betweenthe iront and rear brakes, the compensatory action being initiated by adilerence in the force with which one or more of the related brakesengages its or their brake drums, so that a compensating pressure iscaused to appear in the less operative brake or brakes, whiletheoperative pressure inf u dicated is proportionately reduced in themore4 stronglyv active brake or brakes.

Other objects and'advantagesotmy inventionv will .be apparent from areading ofthe followingr description in` connection `with the drawings,

25, wherein for purposes oi'illustration I have shown apreferrediembodiment ofrny invention.

In the drawings Figure l is atop plan View ofthe embodiment;

Figure 2 is arear elevational view of the ern-- V bGdlmelfl.

' Figure 3 is an elevational View of the left handr side of theembodiment'.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional View taken` through Figure lapproximately-on the line 4 4? and-looking-upwardly inthe directionoithe arrow.

Figure 5`is atransverseverticalsectional View taken through Figure -l atapoint slightly to the left of the left hand memberEB-Fon the line 5-540 and-locking toward the right'in kthedirectioniof the arrow.

Figure 64 isan enlarged` longitudinal sectional view taken through therear endofthe main bary along thev line E-unof'Figure1-y and. lookingtoward the left in the directionnof'the arrow.

Eigure/is asideelevationalview of one of the brake rod attachingYclevises. v

Figure 8 is atransverse vertical sectional view,

through `Figure 2 approximately on-the line 8-8- and looking downwardlyin-the direction ofthe arrow.A

Figure 911s' another` transverse sectional View taken through Figure 2approximately on theline 9 6 and looking downwardlylin the direci tionofithe arrow.

(Cl. 18S-204) Referring' in detail tothe4 drawings, the-nu meralrrefers` generally to the brake-pedal actuatedshaft whichiissuitablyrotatably mounted adjacentthe brake pedal and the shaft 5.-has ltheVfixed lever @which has its upper` or lower. end of which connected. bymeans oi the clevis 'I'topivoted tovandfreceived between the arms of aiclevis Ill, the connection being madevby a boltV or p-in II. The clevisIilrhasA a screw-threaded shanky I2 which is engagedwith afnut portionI3 on the front endlof'theqrnain rod or bar I4'which extends-rearwardly.andis` pivoted as indicated at El at its rearward extremity atthe centerof the doubleendedYrnain-equalizer lever I6.

As shown inFigurerSthe main bar It is -U- shaped, and the shank IZ'ofthe clevisV ID is threaded ythrough the bight portion thereof. Therearward extremities of the arms Il, I8`are disposed above and below,respectively, the double, ended lever Iiand washers I9, Zvconstitutebear-- ingsvbetween the upper andvlower sides of thelever IE5 and therespective sides of the bar I 4, as showni in Fig-ure 6.-

A headed pivot bolt 2I- passes downwardly through registering openingsinthe rear end of the side members of the armA I4, through thek washersI 9, 283, and through the lever I6, and

through the sleeve 22.. whichfhas the flange 23.

bearing againstthe bottom of the mainbar side;

member I8 to ccnne and be engaged bythe up.

per end ofthe helical spring: 24 which is-circunr-v posed on the pivot2| and on thek sleeve Z2.and\4 Whoselower endis engaged by andconfinedby awasher 25,- the washer 25being held inadjustable-'piositionby the nut Zlithreadedon the lower As-indicated thehead end of the pivot bolt` 2-I. of the pivot bolt ZI-.is squared toengage .a con? forming hole in the main bar. upper. side member.

I 1 so that the pivot is prevented from turning. It is obviousthat bythreadingthe nut 26 along the pivot bolt 2l the compression of thespring 'Mina-y beadjusted to increase or decrease thefrictionalengagement between `the mainv bar llll and the double endedlever I6, sothat when-the] doubleendedlever Iilhas been swung towardthel right or toward theleft in accordance with the resistance offeredby the leftand right hand brakes, the llCtiQnal. engagement acts totholdA the positon of the lever I6 assumed by it as a result of anoperative engagement of the brakes with their brake bands or drums,through the cooperation of right and left equalizer assemblies. When thebrakes are released the lever I6 remains in the position thus assumed.Since the construction of the left and right equalizing assemblies isapproximately the same, the description of one will suffice fordescribing the other.

Either end of the double ended lever I6 has thereon a ball 21 which isconfined in a socket 28 by a spring ring lock 29 seated in a groove 30in the mouth of the socket, and a cork or other yielding insert 3| of acushion type is provided in the bottom of the socket to preventexcessive clamping of the ball 21. The socket 28 is on the radiallyoutward end of a lever 32 which is rigidly clamped on the transverseequalizer shaft 33 by a split clamp 34 contracted by a bolt 35, whichbolt also acts as a key for engaging a recess in the side of the rod ina manner similar to the bolt 5I as shown in Figure 9. The laterallyoutward end of the equalizer shaft 33 is reduced as indicated at 36 andhas a bearing 31 riding against the shoulder defined and also a shortsleeve or spacer 38 whose axially outward end bears against the axiallyinward end of the main clevis 39. The reduced portion 36 passes axiallyoutwardly through the bore 49 of the main clevis 39 and a set screw 4Ilocks the shaft portion 36 in engagement with the key 42 which islocated in the ke'yway 43 in the bore of the main clevis, and the end ofthe shaft portion 36 extends axially outwardly and between the arms 44,45 of the main clevis and engages in a fitting recess 46 in the springpressed compensating clamp 41, which is located between the arms 44 and45 of the main clevis 39.

Journaled in the arms of the main clevis and arranged therebetween andextending forwardly and rearwardly, respectively, at the opposite sidesof these arms is the brake operating shaft 48. On the upper end of theshaft 48 is the brake operating arm 49 shown in detail in Figure 9 andwhich includes the bifurcated portion 58 receiving the shaft 48, aclamping bolt 5I passing through the furcations and engaging a recess 52in the side of the shaft 48 so as to act as a key. A second key 53 isarranged in keyways in the arm 49 and in the side of the shaft 48respectively. At the opposite or radially outward end of the brakeoperating arm 49 and on the side facing the brake to be controlled is anotch 54 which is traversed by the retaining bolt 55 which passesthrough and acts as a pivot for the brake rod clevis 56 shown in Figures'7 and 9. This clevis 56 has traversing the furcations thereof theconnecting pivot 51 which passes through the eye 58 of the brake rod 8|which may lead directly to the mechanism which immediately operates thecorresponding brake. The remaining brake operating arm 69 on the lowerend of the shaft 48 is identical in structure but oppositely arranged sothat its brake rod clevis 6I faces in a direction opposite to that inwhich the clevis 56 faces.

The compensating spring-pressed clamp 41 already referred to is locatedbetween the legs of the main clevis 39 and is composed of rear and frontsections 62, 63, respectively, which have substantially semi-circularrecesses therein to closely receive the shaft 48 as shown in Figure 8,and the rear and front sections are connected and positioned relative toeach other by means of the bolt 64 which traverses them and traversesalso the sleeve 65, which has the flange 66 resting against the rearsection, and forms the guide for the compression helical spring 61 whichis circumposed on the sleeve 65 and also on the rear part of the bolt 64and has its rear end confined by a Washer 68 held in place by the nut69. It is obvious that by turning the nut 69 on or off the bolt 64 thespring 61 may be adjusted to cause the sections 62, 63 to havedifferently forceful frictional engagement or clamping engagement withthe shaft 48, so that greater or less rotative force relative to theaxis of the shaft 48 will be required to rotate the shaft 48 forswinging the brake arms 49 and 60. Washers 10, 1I on the shaft 48 spaceand take the wear between the respective brake operating arms 49 and 68and the corresponding arms 44, 45 of the main clevis 39.

The axially inward end of the equalizer shaft 33 is mounted in a bearing12 located axially inwardly of the lever 32, while the left hand shaft33a has at its axially inward end a reduced portion 13 which turns in abearing 14 and has thereon a spacer 15 located between the bearing 14and the lever 32a..

It will be understood that the spring 61 might be mounted on the frontside of the assembly shown in Figure 8 instead of on the rear side asshown, and the same arrangement can be made with respect to the spring24 on the main bar I4, and also with respect to the arrangement of thevarious levers and brake arms, such changes of position being matters ofconvenience or of design, capable of being made by persons skilled inthe pertinent art. The shaft 5 has a reduced end 16 supported in abearing 11 and at its opposite end a bearing 18 supporting a reducedportion 19 on which is a sleeve spacing the bearing 18 from the portionof the shaft on which the lever 6 is fixed.

When the brake pedal operated shaft 5 is rotated by application of thebrake pedal in the brake applying direction the main bar I4 is pulledforwardly so that the equalizer assemblies will be rotated forwardly ontheir various bearings. As the bar I4 moves forwardly the lever I6 alsomoves forwardly which causes the members 32 and 32a to swing forwardlyand thus the shafts 33 and 33a are partly rotated in their bearings.This movement of the shafts partly turns the clevises 39 so that theupper end of each shaft 48 swings forwardly while the lower end of eachshaft swings rearwardly thereby causing the arms 49 connected with theupper ends of the shafts 48 to exert a pull upon the rear brake rods 8|and the lower arms 60 to exert a pull upon the front brake rods 82 andthus the brakes will be applied.

If the brakes at the right side of the vehicle should grip before thoseat the left side do, then the right arm 32 ceases to move while the leftarm 32a.' continues its movement until the brakes at the left hand sideof the vehicle are applied, as the lever I6 rocks or pivots on the bolt2I and said lever I6 remains in this tilted position, after the brakesare released, due to the friction exerted on the same by the pressure ofthe spring 24 and the friction members I9 and 20. Thus if the left andright brakes are not equalized, 1113011 the rst application of thebrakes they will be equalized and the means shown in detail in Figure 6will thereafter ho-ld the parts with the left and right brakesequalized.

Of course, if the left brakes grip before the right brakes, theequalization is reversed from that just described.

If the left rear brake is gripping and the left front brake is not, forinstance, the rod 8| leading to the left rear brake will pull on arm orlever 49 to which it is attached, as pressure is being applied to thebrake pedal, and this will cause the shaft 48 to which the 4arm or lever49 is attached to rotate in the clevis 39, against the resistance of theclamps 62 and 63, as shown in Figure 8, and this causes a swingingmovement of the lower arm 6U attached to the lower end of the shaft 48so that a pull is exerted upon the front rod 82 leading to the leftfront brake and thus the front left brake is applied and the partshereafter remain in this equalized position, due to the frictionalengagement of the shaft 48 by the clamping means shown in Figure 8. Thusthe front and rear left brakes will be equalized and the parts willremain in this equalized position. The same action will take place ifthe rear and front right brakes are not equalized.

Thus the center equalizer shown in detail in Figure 6 and the left .andright equalizers shown in detail in Figure 8, will compensate for anyunequal application of the right and left brakes as well as between therear and front brakes. The equalizers will only come into action whenthe brake shoes contact the drums and only when a certain .amount ofpressure is applied to the brake pedal. Adjustment of the varioussprings described and shown must be made to provide the desired coactionof the parts described, as will be evident. It is also evident that themanner of connection of the main bar I4 with the clevis I provideslongitudinal adjustment of thelength of the main bar I4, and that otheradjustments may be provided by lengthening or shortening or changing theposition of the various levers and brake arms to' predetermine themanner and the force of engagement of the brake shoes with their brakearms for exerting diierent braking effects.

If desired, the arrangement shown in Figure 1, wherein the main bar I4is connected to a lever on the shaft and the brake pedal (not shown) isconnected to the shaft 5 by means of a link 8 and the lever 6, may bechanged so that the main bar I4 will be hooked directly to the brakepedal. In the latter arrangement the shaft 5 is eliminated together withits fittings. If the brake pedal is located at one side of thelongitudinal center of the vehicle (as it usually is) one of the shafts33 and 33a will be provided shorter and the other longer so as toposition the member I6 in longitudinal alignment with the location ofthe brake pedal or with the location of the lever 9 on the shaft 5, so'that the main bar I4 will have normally a straight back .and forwardposition, instead of being angulated toward one side and out of saidlongitudinal alignment.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment `of myinvention, it is to be denitely understood that I do not desire to limitthe application of the invention thereto, and any change or changes maybe made in materials, and in the structure and arrangement of parts,within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claim.

What is claimed ist- An automatic equalizer for the brakes of the frontand rear wheels of a vehicle, comprising a pair of transversely spacedtransverse shafts rockably supported on the vehicle between the frontwheel brakes and the rear wheel brakes, a laterally projecting leverfixed on each shaft, a main equalizer lever pivoted at its opposite endsto the radially outward ends of said levers, a main operating bar, pivotmeans pivoting the rear end of said main bar to an intermediate point ofsaid main equalizer lever,` and brake operating means on the saidtransverse shafts extending to the corresponding front and rear wheelbrakes, said brake operating means including a fixed member on thelaterally outward end of the corresponding transverse shaft, a verticalshaft rotatably mounted in said member and including brake operatingarms on its opposite ends connectible respectively to the front wheeland rear wheel br.akes,.said member further including a split elementfixed with respect to said member and clamping said vertical shaft, andspring means yieldably urging said split element tg ftrlictionallyresist rotation of said Vertical s a FERDINAND KESSEN.

